


a parallel universe of inconvenience

by orphan_account



Series: rina week 2020 [1]
Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: F/M, Homecoming, Lots of dialogue, hoco one shot, i lost the ability to write, not much of a point but i tried, rinaweek2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24140236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: she did not wake up this morning, eat her daily bitch cereal, and expect to be going home in a car with Ricky Bowen of all people
Relationships: Ricky Bowen/Gina Porter
Series: rina week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1742041
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	a parallel universe of inconvenience

**Author's Note:**

> this is for rina week 2020 on twitter! to be quite honest, I wasn't planning on writing for day one, and you can tell I bsed most of this one shot, I'm really sorry. i've lost my spark at writing them and I really want to get it back, hopefully the rest of the one's I write for rina week will be better. but for now, here's this piece of crap, enjoy!

They’ve entered a parallel universe. 

Yes. 

That’s exactly what happened. That’s the only logical reasoning as to why the ride to her house had been essentially void of hostility, especially on her end, why he hadn’t complained a single time, and precisely why his music taste was actually good. It was better than admitting she had let her guard down and enjoyed the ride home, enjoyed his presence rather than hate it. And it’s all just very inconvenient for her, especially considering how not only an hour ago he had practically insulted her entire being, unprovoked. 

(and, okay, maybe she had provoked him, but it wasn’t necessary for him to come for her neck like he had.) 

It’s inconvenient because she wants to hate her current situation, but she really couldn’t find a valid reason to. Even the passenger seat was comfortable. So unfortunately, there was nothing to despise, thus, they entered a parallel universe where she was actually okay with everything going on. Only logical explanation, because she did not wake up this morning, eat her daily bitch cereal, and expect to be going home in a car with Ricky Bowen of all people. 

No, she woke up this morning, ate two bowls of her usual bitch cereal, and prepared for a night of chaos with her supposed partner in crime; Ej Caswell. Obviously that didn't pan out because she ended up in a car with Ricky and her bitch cereal hadn’t prepared her for this at all. 

“I could just send you my playlist if you want the song, you don’t have to shazam every single one that comes on..” 

They're turning on her street and she’s convinced he waited this entire time to tell her that. She’s convinced he waited until they got to her street to tell her he was willing to share his playlist just so she could struggle to find each song that came on with her super slow app. She’s convinced. But not really because all she’s doing is trying to find something to hate in the moment. 

“I would…” She aggressively swipes out of Shazam and sets her phone in her lap, “I would like that.” 

Her house is in the middle of the street and even his parking is perfect. He pulls the aux cord out of his phone and hands it to her, a sheepish smile on his face. “Put your number in, I’ll send it to you when I get home.” She takes it without an ounce of hesitation and it doesn’t take much time to put her number in. She blames it on the need to have his entire playlist, because despite what she thought about him, his music taste really IS that wonderful and she needed to hear every song he’s ever heard. 

“Cool.” He takes it back and shoves it in the cup holder. Now this is where things start to get awkward because she should be getting out of the car, what else is there left to say other than a thank you, but she doesn’t make the effort to open the door, or even move from her spot. “So this is where I live.” Ricky shifts in his chair to face her, “Ta-da.” 

Gina tends to say whatever’s on her mind and this moment was no different. “Let me guess, you pictured a raw iron gate and a bunch of gargoyles?” His laugh brings a smile to her face and she’s starting to forget every rational thought she’s ever had. “Kinda...you’re not that scary.” She turns away and smiles, because she really doesn’t know what to say to that, but her cheeks hurt and it’s all genuine. For the first time in a while, it’s genuine, and her theory of a parallel universe is becoming stronger.. “I kinda owe you a thank you, actually.” 

“For what?” 

“You’re kind of the reason I stayed with the show. That night at the skatepark-” 

She knows how to keep her composure, she’s done it in plenty situations, but this, this is a new situation, where a strange not so strange boy is actually thanking her for something she hadn’t even realized she’d done. And she manages to keep her composure perfect, like always, but she’s faltering a little. “You set me straight, and um...it’s been a big deal for me.” 

“Well it suits you.”

It’s a nice moment, a moment she hasn’t had in a long time with anyone really and she finds herself liking it. “I still don’t know all the theater terms.” She laughs, LAUGHS, like a schoolgirl and her cheeks start hurting again. “I don’t know, it’s just nice to have somewhere to go after school, every day, you know?”

“I know.” Oh does she. “Believe me.” 

She woke up this morning, ate her bitch cereal, thinking shit was gonna go down at Homecoming. She did not wake up this morning, eat double her bitch cereal, and think she was going to be letting her guard down in front of him. But there’s a certain atmosphere that’s being created, a certain trust being established, and she doesn’t see the harm in telling him a little something about herself. 

“You grow up hearing the world doesn’t revolve around you, so you try your hardest to make sure it does.” 

She’s looking at her porch, wondering whether or not her mother had noticed the car in the driveway and was waiting for her to get out. She didn’t know what kind of reaction she wanted out of him, or even if she wanted a reaction, she just wanted to say it. More than anything, she just wanted to say how she felt out in the open, and not in some dumb diary she kept under her bed. “That’s probably why I am the person I am.”

“And what kind of person are you?”

His tone’s different, softer, a hint of sympathy and Gina has to stop herself from pinching the skin between her thumb and index finger. There were instances in the past where someone had shown the kind of compassion he was showing her, and most of the time, those instances ended with her giving them the cold shoulder. 

Her parents divorce, her mom’s new job that resulted in leaving every place she’s ever loved, her dog’s death that left a permanent scar on her heart, and countless other times where she had the chance to open up about her feelings but didn’t. And she has every intention of ending the conversation right then and there but he’s looking at her like he actually cares and it’s a different feeling than she’s used to and it’s intense for her. So she cracks a joke. Or what she thinks is a joke. 

“Oh you know, a little too ambitious for my own good-” 

She watches him recoil in fear and embarrassment and she’s slowly starting to think she shouldn't have said anything. Slowly starting to think that she should’ve just bounced as soon as he parked. “I didn’t, crap, I really didn’t mean it-” She involuntarily reaches out and presses a hand to his shoulder and it takes her a second to even construct a sentence. “Dude.” keep it chill, keep it normal, say dude, “it’s okay.” He looks at her with a face that screams ‘It definitely was not okay.’

“Okay, well I mean, did it catch me off guard, yes.” He responds by banging his forehead against the wheel as she rubs his shoulder, again, involuntarily, because she doesn’t know what else she should be doing. “But I’ve had worse things said to me. Ricky, I have tough skin, I’m not gonna cry about it once you leave.” And maybe her delivery is a little harsh but she needs to get her point across and there’s no way she’s doing that by sugar coating it. 

“I was in the heat of the moment, I didn’t mean it, it was a horrible thing to say-” 

“Ricky,” at this point she feels like a puppet on a string in this parallel universe, “you’re rambling, calm down.” Her hands are suddenly on the sides of his face and her fingers are on the verge of being completely in his hair. The position in which she leaned over hurt, her phone digging into her rib cage as she tried her best to maintain her balance over the space between the two seats. 

“I ramble when I panic. Sorry.” 

They’re not close enough for her to be doing this so she lets go of his face, “It’s okay.” She plops back into her seat like nothing happened, because really nothing did, but she can see his cheeks warm up and his fingers are a little shaky when he goes back to drumming across the steering wheel. The following beats of silence are awkward, his incessant finger tapping being the only sound in the car beside their breathing. Gina was beyond surprised her porch lights still hadn’t turned on. 

“Hey, um, before you head inside,” she truthfully didn’t want to leave yet, “what was that big blow up about with you and your...date.” It’s the word date that makes her gag internally, because Ej Caswell, though technically speaking, was her date, was more of her pawn in a game she really didn’t know the rules of. And she had nothing against the senior, they both had things they wanted and it was her idea in the first place that set things into motion. Until he confronted her about the plan that she literally did not have and she panicked. Hence the whole fiasco of punch being drenched on a probably expensive suit that should’ve gotten her a detention but didn’t. 

“I already forgot about it.” Gina Porter, legendary liar of the fifth decree. “And I don’t do dates, by the way,” She mentions it as if he needed to know that little detail of her life. “It’s hard enough to make friends.” Might as well tell him everything. “Try moving five schools in seven years.” It sounds sadder than how she feels about it, because she’s said the line plenty of times to not really care about it, but Ricky still shoots her a sympathetic smile. “And how’s that working out for ya?” 

Not well. Not well at all. But he’s there and maybe something else is in the works. 

And it’s at this moment when Gina realizes she’s not in some parallel universe, because if she were in one, the porchlights wouldn’t have started flickering and she would've gotten more time to answer.

“I should probably-” 

“Yeah...yeah.” 

In the span of 8 minutes, Ricky Bowen had learned more about her than anyone she’s ever met. In the span of 8 minutes, Gina had pondered, experimented and concluded that Ricky Bowen was going to be someone very special to her. She swallows and reluctantly turns to open the door, because her mother would definitely have a few words if she stayed any longer but then it’s like the spirit of a normal high school girl possessed her and she’s turning back to face him. 

“You know, I-I meant what I said. At the skate park about your own style.” Even if the porchlights came on again she’s determined to have her moment, a moment she’ll think about for days to come. “I don’t think you knew how much I meant it when I said it.” He’s silent, a few bashful looks thrown at her here and there and she’s ready to end the night with a bang. 

A very innocent firework in the form of a kiss on the cheek. 

“Goodnight Ricky.” 

She leans over and presses her lips to his skin, pulls away only slightly and lingers in his breath for a second before climbing out of the car. She’s on the porch, heart hammering in her chest when she hears him call out her name. “Gina?” It’s a whisper shout, thoughtful enough so that her mother probably wouldn’t hear it, but enough for her to turn around with a curious smile. “Yeah?” He’s leaning halfway out the window of the car, his arms dangling across the door and his hair is being pushed in all directions by the wind.

The porch light flickers again. 

“Can I call you when I get home?” She tilts her head and she believes her cheeks are gonna permanently hurt whenever she’s around him. “I want to talk about stuff with you...like...theater stuff....” And it’s a poor attempt to save himself from the embarrassment that rises along the column of his neck but she beams as the lights flicker once more. “Sure.” His smile is full of teeth and he’s back in the car again, waiting for her to walk in the house. So she does and she ignores the knowing smirk on her mother’s face as she hangs her coat up. 

“That boy must’ve been cute as hell for you to ignore me like that.” 

She tries to act casual when she peeks out the window, tries to act not so disappointed when the orange buggy is no longer in her driveway, and blushes miserably when her mother teases her. It takes 20 minutes for her phone to ring and she’s only slightly embarrassed that she had been waiting patiently in her pajamas, but only slightly, because as soon as she answers he breathes out a hi and starts talking about his favorite song at the moment. She listens the entire time. 

Gina Porter woke up this morning, ate double the amount of her usual bitch cereal, and had no idea she’d end the night talking to a boy who’s quickly becoming someone she can trust wholeheartedly . 

Ricky Bowen is becoming something special and she’s happy to find that it’s happening in her own world, and not in a parallel universe.

**Author's Note:**

> haha, I know that was hard to get through, I barely looked over it to be honest. thank you if you read though, means a lot :D.


End file.
